Explosive shell.



No. 8`,9o,9oo.l PATENTE) "JUNE 16, 1968.

- M. w. GILMARTIN.

BlumoslvfrSHELL;4

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 1*.2, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'lll

[NVE/V701?.

- AT'TORNEY.

W/.TNESS/ss: l

M. W. GILMARTIN.

EXPLOSIVE SHELL. APrLIoATIoN PILED'OGT. 12, 1905.

PATENTBD JUNE 16, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. MICHAEL W. GILMARTIN, Ol THEIINI'IEI) ASSIGNOR TO E. BLISS (IOM PANY, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORI, ACORPORATION OF WEST YllllNlA.

Specication of Letters Patent..

EXPLosIvE SHELL.

Patented June i6, 190s.

Application led October 12, 1905. Serial No. 282.479.

To all whom 'it may concern: A

Be it known that I, MICHAEL W. GILMAR- TIN, a chief gunner in the UnitedStates Navy, and a citizen of the United States, residing at 448 EastFifty-eighth street, in the county of New York and State of NewYo1'k,.l1ave invented a. new and useful Improvement in Explosive Shells.

My invention relates to projectiles and is more particularly directed toimproving the present construction ot' explosive shells in regard to thefuses thereof andthe means for securing the fuses. in lplace.

As the fuses'of explosive shells are now constructed and secured, there.is always danger-or exploding the cl'rarge of the shell m loading andunloading the same. Also when the shell is fired it sometimes explogesowing to leakage. of gas past the fuse, ut there is especial danger whenit becomes necessary to withdraw the fuse after the shell has beenstored l'or a. long time, the friction set up often generating enoughheat to ex? -plode the shell with disastrous results, as is well-known.

My invention, which is designed t o obviate these dangers, isillustratedin the' accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents avertical, longitudinal section of the base of a shell provided with my.improvements tail views of modifications of iny invention.

In Fig. 1 B represents the shell, D the baseplug, which is customarilypresent in shells ol'l l'argevcaliber, provided with a tapered hole orsocket d, as shown, for the reception of the conicalfuse C, and a recessd to receive 'the fuse-plug A. In shells of small caliber the recess andsocket for the fuse and base lug are formed directly in the base of thesli'ell.

The fuse C has a flanged head c, as usual, which is adapted to bearagainst the shoulder in the base plug D, or shell-base formed betweenthe recess and tapered socket. The' .use is provided with some means forpositively engaging an extracting tool or the like, as distinguishedfrom a mere wall eX- tending in the direction of movement of the fuseduring withdrawal. Such means for positively engaging the tool ispreferablyA arranged `in the outer end of the fuse fandis positive andeil'eetive.

Figs. 2 and 3 are de-v preferablyI comprises sockets such as E hav ingan over-hanging part under which. the tool can be placed so that theengagement Grooves formed inthe adjacent l'aees ol' the baseplug Dandfuse-plug A, in which is placed a s'olt metalring j, which serves as a.gas-cheek when oom )ressed between said faces. 'hen the base plug l.) isused, similar grooves F are formed in the head thereof andthe base ofthe shell and a similar soft-metal ringjl is placed therein to act as agas-check.

Fuse-plug A is provided with a centrally projecting, substantiallysemi-spherical nipple G and the head ol' the l'use C is provided withaconjugate recess g, the latter being filled with soft metal z, suoli asBabbitt' metal, so that the nipple G on the lug A, when the latter isscrewed home, wi l force the fuse inwardly in a straight, axialdirection, without turning the fuse and without excessive frictionbetween the latter and the, fuse-plug. Ol' course, the nipple may be onthe fuse and the recess in the `fuse-plug, if desired.

Experience has shown that the most dangerous operation in unloadingshells is the unscrewing of the fuse as powder often cakes solid in ashell, that has been stored lor a long time aboard ship, and adheres tothe bottbln of the fuse. An attempt to unserew a fuse with powder socaked is likely to cause an explosion, due to the friction between' theend of the fuse and the ca'ked powder, and this is liable to occur evenin shells using burster bags` the powder often leaking through the bagafter the lat-ter has become rotton or punctured, and a small amount olpowder clinging to the fuse is likely to explode the shell, due to themixing together ol the powder and rust from the shell In loading shellshaving threaded fuseholes, particles of powder lodge in theserewtlireadsiand are likely to be ex )loded by the friction generatedin screwing tlhefuse'home.

VBy my invention the fuse is seated and withdrawn without any rotarymotion at all, so that the friction between the fuse and its ta;- peredhole is practically nil. .-.As the conf tacting Walls of the socket andfuse are ta` pered their surfaces separate laterally as the are fuse iswithdrawn, so that an upward movement of a few thousandths of an inch issufiicient to remove all Contact between the fuse and the walls of thehole. In loadin the fuse is placed in its hplc and the fuse p ug Ascrewed in until the nipple' G of the latter engages the anti-frictionwasher of soft metal in the recess in the head' of the fuse', whenvconstruction in which the walls of the outer end of the socket arespaced somewhat apart from the walls of the fuse. In this construction,as in Fig. 2, the inner end of the use and socket are tapered. Otherconstructions may be ado )ted in which there is a lateral separation oithe surfaces as the fuse is withdrawn.

By my invention the use of the usual copper gas check Il is dispensedwith, although it may be used, if desired.

While I have described in detail one form o my invention, it will beunderstood that I do not wish to be limited to the construction shown asvarious modifications may be made therein without departingr from theessential features thereof. I

l. A projectile having a removable fuse, such fuse having means forpositively engaging a tool or the like adapted to withdraw it from itsseat, such projectile and fuse having surfaces fitting closely together,such surfaces being so disposed with relation to the direction ofmovement of the use during withdrawal that they separate laterally asthe fuse leaves its scat.

A projectile having a socket and a fuse removabiiY seated in saidsocket, the contacting walls ol' said parts being tapered so that theirsurfaces separate laterally as the fuse' leaves its seat, said fusehaving means for positively engaging a tool or the like, whereby it maybe withdrawn from its socket.

3. A projectile having a socket, and a l'nse removably seated in saidsocket, the contacting walls ol'v said parts being smooth and tapered sothat their surfaces separate laterally as the fuse leaves its seat, saidfuse having means for positively engaging a tool or the like, whereby itmay be withdrawn from its socket.

4. A rojectile having a socket, and a fuse reniova ly seated in saidsocket, the contacting walls of said parts being tapered so that theirsurfaces separate laterally as the fuse leaves its seat, and said fusehaving an overhanging4 part adapted for engagement with an extractingtool whereby such fuse may be Af'use `leaves its seat, and said usehaving means located at its outer end for engaging a withdrawing tool.

6. A rojectile having a socket, and a fuse remova ly seated in saidsocket,the contacting walls ofsaid parts being tapered so that theirsurfaces separate laterally as the fuse leaves its seat, said projectilehaving a recess surrounding said socket, said fuse having a flanged headfitting said recess, and said head havmg means for positively engagingan extracting tool whereby said fuse may be withdrawn rom its seat.

7. A projectile having a socket, a fuse fitting said socket, thecontacting walls of said parts being formed so that they separatelaterally as the fuse leaves its seat, said fuse bel ing closed at itsouter end,`.and being provided with means for ositively engaging a toolo1' the like where y such fuse may be withdrawn from its socket.

8. A projectile having a removable fuse, said projectile and fuse havingsurfaces fitting closely together, such surfaces being so disposed withrelation to the direction of movement of the fuse durin withdrawal thatthey se arate laterally as t e fuse leaves its seat, sai fuse havingmeans for engagin a tool or the like, such means being adapted to beengaged without disturbing the operating parts o the fuse.

9. A projectile having a socket, a use fitting said socket, means forretaining said fuse therein, and an antifriction member between suchmeans and said l'nse.

10. A projectile having a socket, a fuse fitting said socket, means forretaining said fuse therein, and a soft metal anti-friction mem berbetween such means and said fuse.

11.' A projectile having a socket, a fuse fitting said socket, means forretaining said inse therein, and an axially arranged antiriction memberbetween such means 'and said fuse.

12. A projectile having a tapered socket, a tapered fuse fittingtherein, a plug ada ted to retain said f'use in place, and an antiriction member between said plug and fuse whereby said fuse may beforced to its seat without rotation. f

13. A piojectile having a baseplug formed with a tapered so et, atapered inse therein, a fuse plug sere ing in said socket and retainingsaid use therein, a packing gasket izo between saidbase lugand theprojectile body packing gasket between said base plug ann 1and a packinggas et between the base plug j' theprpjectile body and a packing gasketbe- 10 and fuse plug. tween the base plug and fuse plug.

14. A projectile having a base lug'formed 5 witha tapered socket, atapered rse therein,` GILMARTIE;

a fuse plug screwing in said socket and retain- Witnesses: ing said`fuse therein, and an antifriction WM. M. SMITH,

' member between said f use plug and fuse, a H. L. THOMAS.

